


Life and Love Are the Same

by footprintsinthesnow



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga), Fruits Basket Another
Genre: Coming Out, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 17:56:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20911748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/footprintsinthesnow/pseuds/footprintsinthesnow
Summary: Hatori has a rare moment alone with his daughter.





	Life and Love Are the Same

Hatori walked over to the living room slowly, careful to not disturb the steaming cup of tea in his hands. He set the mug atop one of the coasters that sat on the coffee table before slowly lowering himself onto the couch - doing anything too fast, he’d learned recently, put him at risk of having a sore back for days on end. He knew that was to be expected, now that he was so close to his fifties, but he didn’t want to be confined to his bedroom with a heating pad today. Not when Kinu was finally home for a short break from college. 

She was still asleep. About an hour earlier he opened her door to check on her, and she had been sound asleep with no signs of waking any time soon. Part of him wanted to wake her, but he decided to let her rest a little longer. He remembered how exhausting university was, and he didn’t have it in him to take a rare moment of rest away from her. He supposed he was so eager for her to wake up because today belonged to just the two of them. Mayu was at work - her job didn’t afford her the same level of flexibility as his. While he felt bad that Mayu had to miss part of their daughter’s visit, he was glad to have this day alone with Kinu.

He had never been as close to Kinu as Mayu was. Their personalities didn’t mesh quite so well. Kinu was vibrant, free-spirited, and relaxed, while he… was not. They loved each other and enjoyed each other’s company, he knew that much. The trouble was that what Kinu wanted and his expectations for her often didn’t align. Sometimes, that meant arguments that stemmed from her not wanting to do the chores he asked her to complete. Other times, that meant her signing up for pointless college courses because, despite his tireless efforts to give her advice, she had no idea what she wanted to study.

Perhaps, he hoped, they would have a chance to forget all of that today.

Taking a final sip of his tea, he stood up and moved back to the kitchen. He began to dig through the drawers and cabinets, searching for the pancake recipe that Kinu loved so much. He and Mayu had taken her to America for a week when she was twelve, and the thing she loved the most was the chocolate chip pancakes from the diner they visited. So, shortly after coming back home, he and Mayu had searched online to find a recipe they could use to treat Kinu on special occasions - and he figured that today was enough of a special occasion to merit pancakes. 

Soon, he found the recipe buried in a small box in the back of one of the cupboards, and got to work making them. It had been awhile since he’d made them, but they came easily to him. Over the years, he had put so much time and energy into perfecting the recipe that muscle memory alone could carry him through the task. 

A sweet smell filled the kitchen as he cooked, and eventually summoned Kinu out of her bedroom. He smiled when he saw her, and she returned it as she rubbed the sleep out her gray eyes. “G’morning, dad,” she yawned. “You’re making breakfast for me.”

“That I am. I assumed that pancakes would make you happy.”

“You assumed right,” she said, patting her belly dramatically and taking a seat at the table. “What’s the occasion?”

Hatori shrugged. “You’re home, and I’m glad to see you.”

She threw him a skeptical look and faked a gag. “Ew, since when are you so sentimental?” she said, laughing.

“I can turn off the stove right now and throw these away,” he replied casually, turning one of the pancakes over. 

Kinu’s eyes widened. “No, sir. Be as sentimental as you want. I love both you and your sentimentality.”

“That’s what I thought. Now, please grab some plates and utensils. They’re in the same places as always.”

On his command she jumped up and gathered their dishes, eagerly laying each one out on the counter as she waited for him to finish cooking. 

“So, dad,” Kinu chirped as Hatori began serving their breakfast, “how are you and mom doing with the whole empty nest thing?”

“It’s fine,” he said. “We’ve been keeping ourselves busy. We took a trip to see your grandmother and grandfather a few weeks ago, which made your mother happy. Your Uncle Momiji visited us for a few days last month, and we’re thinking about going to Okinawa soon. We might make it a yearly tradition, but we haven’t decided yet. We’ll see how this trip goes.”

“Wow, seems like you guys are really thriving without me,” she pouted.

Hatori scowled, though there was no real harshness in his expression. “Don’t be silly,” he said as he handed her a plate, holding back a smile at the way her face lit up at the sight of her food.

She laughed. “I guess I’m just surprised you guys have developed such a booming social life all of a sudden.”

“I wouldn’t call visiting family and planning a trip with my wife ‘booming.’”

“It’s a good thing, dad,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m really glad you’ve been doing more than just working. I was a little nervous you’d become a hermit without me here.”

“Why did you think I’d become a hermit?”

“Well,” Kinu said, words garbled from the large bite of pancake in her mouth, “Uncle Shigure and Uncle Ayame always say that -”

“I thought I taught you to ignore their nonsense.”

“I like their nonsense. Besides, their point was that you tend to be a bit of a shut in, and they’re not wrong. So it’s good that you’re pushing yourself to socialize and travel and stuff,” she said. Noticing his growing frown, she poked him, a playful smile pulling at her lips. “You’re always so grumpy, dad. Loosen up.”

“Fine,” Hatori sighed, “I am a recluse and you were the only thing that got your mother and I out of the house on a regular basis. Without you we’re forced to be brave and venture on our own into the terrifying world around us.”

“That’s more like it.”

Hatori thumbed tiredly at his forehead, pushing his graying hair out of his eyes. “That’s enough about me,” he said, “tell me about school. Are you enjoying your classes?”

She nodded. “Sure, some of them at least.”

“Are any of them in particular piquing your interest?”

“Hm. I don’t know. I think I like psychology a lot. It’s pretty cool learning about how the brain works. Also the professor is awesome, and the TA is too. They’re both super helpful. Sometimes I have trouble with my homework, so I go to them for help and they make it a lot easier to understand.”

“That’s great, Kinu. It sounds like psychology might be something you want to pursue then?”

She made a face. “Maybe. It’s hard to tell right now. I think I might take another psych course next semester, but I don’t know if I want to do that as, like, a career thing. You know?”

He didn’t know, but he nodded anyway. “You’ll get it figured out, and I’m here to talk if you want to go through possible career ideas with me.”

“Eh, not today,” she groaned. “But… thanks, dad.”

“Of course,” he said softly, a faint rush of pink coloring his face. “So, um, you’ve been comfortable at the house, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Uncle Shigure’s old place is the best. It’s kinda beat up, but I don’t mind too much.”

“He never did take care of it very well,” he grumbled. “Let me know if you need anything done there. I’ll make some calls.”

She scoffed. “It’s fine, dad. Honestly.”

“If you say so,” Hatori said, biting lightly into a piece of pancake. “Have you been making friends at school?”

“Yep. Lots of them.”

“Lots, huh?”

“Well, maybe not tons,” she replied, giggling. “I have, like, four close friends. And a bunch of casual ones from classes and all that.”

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “What do you and your friends do for fun?”

She shrugged. “You know. College kid stuff.”

“I assume that means you’re doing things I wouldn’t approve of?”

“Dad. I’m not snorting coke or shooting heroin or anything like that. Just a glass of sake or beer at a party every now and then. And before you tell me I’m not old enough to drink, Uncle Shigure has told me plenty of stories about your high school days.”

Hatori pursed his lips and gave her a sharp look. “Fine. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will, promise. Anyway, most of the time my friends and I just go out to eat or hang out at my place to watch movies. I’m a good kid, you and mom raised me right.”

“That’s right, we certainly did,” Hatori said, chewing thoughtfully. 

To his disdain, he was slowly reaching that inevitable point in the conversation where he felt as though he was running out of steam. He knew it would happen sooner or later; it was one of the consequences of never quite understanding the way Kinu worked. He dug his nails into his palm and forced himself to think the way Mayu did. She always knew how to keep up conversations with their daughter for hours, and today he was determined to do the same. Finally, after racking his brain for several moments, he picked out a question that would surely garner at least some sort of reaction. 

“So,” he began, “is there anyone you’re interested in? Or perhaps you’ve been on some dates?”

Kinu’s smile rapidly faded as she stilled and made a sour face. “I… you don’t want to hear about that stuff.”

“Sure I do,” he said, making a conscious effort to soften himself. 

“Since when? When I told you that the kids at my middle school were starting to go on dates I thought you were going to have a heart attack.”

“Trust me, your mother made it very clear that my reaction was not the right one to have,” Hatori chuckled. “Besides, you’re my daughter. I want to know what’s happening in your life.”

“Well, now I feel like you’re just trying to police me,” she huffed.

“Oh. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“No,” she said, averting her eyes, “I know. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay,” he said weakly, trailing off into a long silence. “I… I know I don’t have the greatest history when it comes to this stuff. But, if you want to tell me, then I would love to hear about it.”

She stared at him for some time, seemingly studying his face and each expression that crossed it. Finally, she set down her fork. “I’ve been on some dates, recently. They’ve been really good.”

“Oh?” Hatori murmured, eyebrows raised. “Different people, or someone in particular?”

“Same person.”

“Is it serious then?”

“Getting there.”

“Who is he? Did you meet him in your classes?”

Kinu fidgeted in her seat, tugging awkwardly at her tangled ponytail. “I met them in my classes, yeah. Psychology. They’re really cool, and smart. Um, they also want to be a therapist and work with kids.”

“That’s wonderful,” Hatori said, forcibly steering himself away from Kinu’s own inability to choose a career path. “Is he kind to you?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve never met anyone so nice. But they’re not, like, fake nice. They’re actually super sweet and caring. Sometimes I feel a little amazed that they want to date someone like me.”

Hatori frowned. “Why? You’re a wonderful young woman. Any man would be lucky to find someone like you.”

Kinu grinned, although her eyes seemed wary. “Thanks, dad.”

Dropping her head, she refocused her attention on her breakfast. Hatori watched her take slow, tentative bites, a shift from the way she was ravenously scarfing her food down only minutes before. Something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what. Everything Kinu said sounded good - she had a nice boyfriend, someone smart and kind that she seemed very happy with. Perhaps he had pushed her too far. Mayu told him that he had a tendency to do that, though, as far as he could tell, Kinu told him everything voluntarily. Maybe she was just tired. He knew that when he slept too much, he was groggy for a few hours afterward. It was reasonable to assume she worked the same way.

“Dad?” Kinu asked quietly. 

Hatori looked across the table at her. “Yes?”

“Can we talk about something?”

“Of course, is everything okay?” he asked, his anxiety growing stronger at the confirmation that there really was something not quite right.

“I just need to tell you something.”

“Alright,” he said. “I’m listening.”

“So, uh, the person I’m dating. I need you to know something about them.”

Hatori blanched, mind racing towards the worst case scenario - was she dating someone she shouldn’t be? An older man? Probably not her professor, but the teaching assistant seemed like a possibility. Or what if he was an addict of some sort, or a delinquent? He would have to talk to her if that was the case, he couldn’t risk her getting in trouble with someone like that. Finally, he swallowed painfully against his dry throat and nodded. “Okay.”

“Promise you won’t hate me?”

“I promise,” he said gently.

She scratched at the tabletop and took a deep, shaky breath. “I need you to know that the person I’m dating is, well… the person isn’t a he,” she said, her voice just barely above a whisper. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, unsure that he had heard her correctly. 

“I mean that I’m dating a girl,” she squeaked, sounding just as scared and helpless as she did when she was a small child who would hide behind his legs when she got frightened by loud noises or spiders. “I’m dating a girl because I’m gay.”

He bit down on his lip, considering. It felt strange to hear her saying this to him. Not because he had a problem with it - he was well aware of Ayame and Hatsuharu’s queerness, and he accepted it. The difference was that the two of them were in relationships with people of the opposite sex. He rarely, if ever, had to acknowledge the fact that they weren’t heterosexual. Even back in high school, much of Ayame’s prattling about being a bottom and sleeping with men only rarely went beyond mere talk. 

But now, it was his only child sitting in front of him, telling him that she was… gay. That she wasn’t simply questioning her sexuality, but that she was confidently and fully gay. That she didn’t want to be with men anymore, and probably had never really wanted to in the first place. Not only that, she was in a relationship with another woman. A relationship that, apparently, was getting quite serious. He couldn’t avoid that. He couldn’t sweep it under the rug like he did with Ayame and Hatsuharu and pretend it wasn’t important.

He shifted in his seat, afraid to speak. He didn’t even know how to begin talking to her. He wanted to tell her that he hoped she was being safe, because he didn’t know how to educate her about these things. He wondered if it was even proper, now that she was a grown woman, for him to do his research so he could give her advice on being safe. He wanted to ask a million questions about this girl so he could try to get to know the person his daughter cared so much about. He wanted to call Mayu to ask for advice, because she always knew the right thing to say in situations like these. Most of all, he wished his support could go unspoken, but that looked impossible with her sitting across from him, trembling and on the verge of tears.

“Oh,” he finally managed. “I… I had no idea that you felt that way. I always thought that you were interested in, well, you know. You used to come home from school and tell me about the boys from your class. I didn’t expect you to be… I didn’t expect this.”

Kinu nodded, eyes hazy and trained somewhere just over Hatori’s shoulder. “Yeah,” she muttered.

“How long have you known?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “I… I can’t say.”

He fell silent and stared steadily at the table, where his hands wrung together anxiously. 

She shifted in her seat, looking at him with nervous eyes. “I can give you some time to think, if you want,” she said quietly. “I’ll go back to my room for a bit.”

He shook his head. “Don’t. Please, sit here with me.”

“You just seem like you -”

“No,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m fine. Kinu, I’m sure you’re aware that I don’t really understand you.”

She blinked. “Uh, I mean, I guess.”

“What I mean is, we’re very different people. It’s always been a challenge for me to figure out what you’re thinking or why you do the things you do. Ever since you were a little girl, it’s been hard for me. I used to be upset that we weren’t much alike, but it’s a good thing, I think. I’m grateful for it now. Because, even if I can’t understand you, I can see that you are brave, strong, and independent. You take care of yourself and you go after the things you want, no matter what people say or think. I’ve always admired that about you.”

He reached across the table to take Kinu’s hand; hesitantly, she took it and he squeezed her palm. 

“And, I admire you for telling me this. That you’re gay. I know that couldn’t have been easy. I’ve never been brave enough to be open about the things that made me different. I’ve always been afraid of them and kept them hidden. I’m glad that you’re braver than I am.”

“I’m not that brave,” Kinu giggled, tears beginning to fall from the corners of her eyes.

Hatori grinned and held her hand tighter. “I do want to understand you better, Kinu. And until I do, I just want you to know that I love you and accept you.”

“I know,” she said, pulling her hand away to wipe her nose with her sleeve. “I love you too, dad.”

He stood up and walked around the table to wrap his arms around her shoulders in a short hug before walking towards the living room. “Finish your breakfast and go get yourself ready, okay? Let’s go out later. I’ll take you wherever you want to go. We can talk about your girlfriend, and I’ll even treat you to ice cream if you want.”

Kinu laughed. “Since when do you let me have ice cream and pancakes in the same day? Who are you and what did you do with my father?”

Hatori craned his neck back to look at her. She looked just the same as she always had, yet there was something different now. It was as though, in some strange way, he was beginning to see her just a little more clearly. That was probably silly, he thought, but that sentimental part of him he kept tucked away wanted to believe it was true - he figured he could indulge that part, just for today.

“I told you earlier,” he said, lifting his coat from the hook by the door. “I’m just happy to see you. That’s all the occasion we need.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed!  
\- title from "isn't she lovely" by stevie wonder  
\- come hang out on tumblr @machi-kuragi


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